XSeries-forum

Hi Guys,

This is my first post on here iv been lurking about on here for a while as iv had bmws for a good few years now very good and useful site.

Any way my last bmw was a 2004 330d auto sport Touring and i could not get away with the auto box i really used to annoy me whats the point in having all that low down torque and the gearbox not using it and changing down all the time it just did not suit my driving style i suppose iv had a old 330d 184bhp manual and that suited me miles better you can use the torque and keep the revs low and mpg. but any way the auto box in my touring lost all drive the light came on the dash and the car would just rev and not move and it ended up costing me £1300 to get it reconditioned so iv lost all faith in the bmw auto boxes.

Iv always fancied a x5 so im looking for a x5 3.0d manual for about the £10k mark they is not many around at all it has to be a face lift with the 6 speed box leather sat and black.

so what does it drive like iv been doing a bit of surfing the net and on the usa web sites it says first gear is to low and a lot of the guys set of in second gear but with it been a usa site they are mostly talking about the petrol x5 not the 3.0d so is they any manual owners out there that can give me a insight in to what they are like to drive cluthch feel is it heavy rpm at motorway speeds and mpg you get stuff like that

cheers guys hope you can help

Hi Wad187,

I've not driven or even spoken to anyone that has driven the manual box.  As you say, they are rare so finding reviews, people that have the experience could prove difficult.  What I would say is, the X5 is really a cruising machine with the ability to get a move on when required.  So an auto box really suits its style and you do have the option to put the auto into 'sports' mode (manual) to give you more control but it won't give you the same control or feel of a manual.

Don

For negating auto expense concerns It has to be worth a look. Not driven one myself but if I ever got a 3.0d I would consider manual for sure- on prefacelift the 1st gear was a bit short iirc

I only ever test drove a used 3.0i manual when I was ordering my E53 3.0d.  I wanted a manual version but the Dealer demanded a £10k deposit as he feared he would not be able to sell it if I pulled out of the order.  If that approach was common to other Dealers it would explain why they are so rare.

It did drive well......apart from 1st.  The Dealer also 'suggested' the car was too heavy and too luxurious to be fitted with a manual.  I ended up with an Auto 6-sp, which self digested itself at less than 40k miles.... >:(. But then I might have needed a couple of clutches on a manual, so it's checks & balances.......

Good luck with the search .... 

Richard

Thats the thing they is not many about so its hard to get peoples opinion on them i dont want to feel like im driving a big old van or some thing also the gear stick looks along way from the driver so in might not be very comfortable i mean like when changing gear in my old 330d i could change gear with my arm resting on the centre arm rest this might not be the case with a x5 manual it might be like driving a bus or some thing 

There's a reason 90% of X5's are autos. The car suits the auto box. There is lots of speculation over X5 auto transmissions failing prematurely .
I have an Astravan 61 plate and the box whines like a sequential rally car box. It's only done 52k, and its a common problem according to the Astra forum. New boxes are 2 k, and they chew up duel mass flywheels too, as a couple of 59 plate ones at work have been done. I will get it into the stealers to get a new box before September when the warranty runs out.
So get an auto and enjoy

I never came across a manual E53 in my search. And Im not sure I'd have bought one. I completely agree that an E53 facelift suits the auto box.

My E46 had an auto, but I should have bought a manual 320i in hindsight. I'd have had a bit more fun with that.

It'll be a nightmare to drive, the clutch will be heavy as f **k, 1st too short and it'll bog down pulling away in 2nd due to the extra weight.

Buy an auto and in manual mode it'll let you stay in the gear you want at low revs unless you press the kick down button. I find that mine likes to stay up in the gears even in auto mode though, it rarely selects 1st even when crawling in traffic.

Mine only selected 1st if I manually opted for it, or it was in 'Sport' mode, otherwise as others have said, 2nd gear was normal even when crawling.  These things have lots of torque and the 6-sp box is suited to the car.

Even the current 8sp boxes rarely use 1st.

R

my mate has a diesel manual, never driven it but his averaged constantly 2 mpg worse than my auto, its also had a new flywheel costing alot

I have a 2006 3.0d manual, so can prob assist!

I used to have a 330ci and have always loved BMW manual boxes. So last Oct I actively sought out a lowish mileage (60k) X5 and finally got one in the right spec. Now for me, I think it's great fun. I live in London and don't particularly find 1st gear that short. The clutch isn't any heavier than the 330 and I love the overall feeling of control of the car. Now it's not quite as smooth as the auto, but once you get used to the clutch biting point it's fine.

Now there is only 1 prob I know of which isn't well advertised due to the rarity and affects the manual apparently more than the auto. Mine threw a wobbler after a few months and it turned out to be the transfer case. This seems to have been a much more common issue on the X3s of which there are more manuals but same Xdrive system. Think I just had bad luck and it's still being fixed now 2 months on. All I'd say is just do a proper test drive and when the car is hot, try moving slowly back and forwards in reverse/1st and listen for any clunks under the car. And if possible get a diagnostic read out to check for any fault codes.

Saying all that, you can just as likely have similarly expensive auto gearbox issues so it's swings and roundabouts!

Good Post

not a great fan of autos myself in fact the E53 is my first auto..

i was on the lookout for a manual when i wanted an X5, but the rarity stood against me. plus the fact that the rarity also seems to contribute to much faster depreciation..

so i thought i'd go safe any try an auto for the first time.


anyways, the E53 seems to have a decent auto box (from all the autos i've driven although non were mine lol).

you get used to it.. its pretty good at delivering a great torque, being in the right gear for the situation incl speed, even incline/slope..

said that,  often there are times i know i push the pedal down and i know it would take a half a second to gear down before pulling out the way i want. which is the utter annoyance of an auto box. - u can't have the gear pre-selected.

I understand what you're saying about the delay from kick down, but if you know you want a fast, in gear acceleration, say for overtaking and you can see a gap in the traffic ahead then you can place your auto into 'sports' mode and hold a lower gear in perpetration.

Don

And there's always the 'flappy paddle shift' mod so you don't even have to take your hand off.

R